Cats
have evolved as predatory hunting animals with great agility
and keen senses - particularly hearing, sight and smell. From
only a few weeks of age the kittens of all species of cat
(including our domesticated varieties) show instinctive
behaviour typical of hunter-killers. They are extremely alert
to sounds and movements, stalk, ambush, convert rigid
stillness into rapid movements to pounce on their prey, and
they demonstrate the typical biting and clawing actions needed
to bring down and kill prey quickly.

All
cats (except the lion and some feral domestic cat colonies)
are solitary animals that hunt and fend for themselves. They
only come into contact with members of the opposite sex during
mating periods when scent in female urine attracts males to
her from a long distance. Cats are also very territorial and
mark out the perimeter of their "homeland" with
their urine. In urban areas our domesticated cats still
exhibit these behavioural traits, creating serious problems
for male tom cats who inevitably fight with each other as they
cross each others territories in search of on-heat females.
Neutering can help to reduce the nuisance caused by calling
and fighting cats, as well as reducing the number of unwanted
litters.

Cats
are capable of great speed over short distances - and none is
faster than the Cheetah which is able to reach over 60 miles
per hour (100km per hour) making it the fastest land animal on
Earth.

There
are several anatomical features such as a rounded head and a
skeletal structure designed for agility which suggest that all
cats (domesticated or wild, large or small) have evolved from
a common prehistoric ancestor.

Generally,
male and female cats are very similar in appearance. The
exceptions are adult male lions which develop a mane. Usually
males are slightly bigger than females of the same species.

Cats
have five toes on the front feet and four toes on the hind
feet, although occasionally individuals are born with more
toes (an inherited abnormality called polydactyly). Cats walk
on their toes and have soft pads on the toes and feet which
help to reduce sound when stalking, as well as protecting the
underlying bones from concussion during running and jumping.

Cats
have evolved with eyes that protrude forwards from the head
giving them good forward and sideways vision. The retina at
the back of the eye reflects light from an area called the
tapetum lucidum, and it consists of a high proportion of cells
called "rods" which gives cats excellent vision in
poor light - a feature that helps them to hunt around dusk and
dawn. Although the image they see is useful, it lacks fine
detail so they may miss small objects. Cats do have different
cones in the retina for differentiating colour - but their
colour vision is very poor compared to ours.

Cats
have a dental profile typical of the carnivores. They have
four large canine teeth at the front of the mouth which are
used to grasp their prey, and large molars including two
carnassial teeth (one on the upper arcade of both sides of the
mouth). These are used to gnaw and slice the meat into small
pieces so that it can be swallowed.

One
genus of cat - the roaring cats (panthera), which includes the
lion, tiger, leopard, clouded leopard, snow leopard and
jaguar, has been determined based upon an anatomical
difference in the hyoid bone apparatus. The hyoid lies at the
base of the skull and connects it to the larynx. In the genus
panthera it is made partly of cartilage, which allows it to
move freely and so gives the vocal cords the ability to make
roaring sounds. In all other cats the hyoid bone is completely
ossified and rigid.

All
cats have retractable claws except for the Cheetah - and for
this reason it is placed in it's own genus - Acinonyx.
Cats have developed with a wide variety of coat colours and
patterns. In wild cats these have evolved as camouflage. It is
not surprising therefore that the snow leopard should have a
very pale, light, almost white coat - as it inhabits regions
frequently covered in snow, whereas it's counterpart the
leopard has spots to help conceal it in forests. Tigers have
stripes to conceal them in long grass, lion are tawny-brown to
blend in with the savannah, and so on. Because coat colour is
a genetically inherited feature breeders can influence this in
their breeding.

There
is something about their confident personality that we admire
about cats. In fact, the ancient Egyptians were so fascinated
by this detached quality of the cat that they considered them
to be nothing less than godlike. To the Egyptians all cats
were divine, and extreme behavior was often acted out to
reinforce this conviction. For instance, if a someone happened
to come across a dead cat in the street, he or she would put
on a loud display of sorrow and mourning just to make sure no
one thought that they were responsible for killing the cat.
You see, according to Egyptian law, being found guilty of cat
murder was punishable by death.

Whenever
a household cat died of natural causes, the entire family
would go through a period of grief, shaving their eyebrows as
a mark of their sadness. Deceased cats were very often
mummified and entombed with fine jewelry and treasures; a
custom usually reserved for only the most powerful and wealthy
of the ruling class.

PROTECTED

By
far, the most fanatical demonstration of Egypt's devotion to
her cats occurred in 500 B.C.2 during a period of warfare with
Persia. At the city of Pelusium, the Persian and Egyptian
armies engaged in fierce combat, but the Egyptians resisted
the onslaught with a fixed determination to save their city.
The resolve of the Egyptian war machine proved too much for
the rapidly tiring Persian army. Sensing ruinous defeat if the
battle continued, the Persians retreated while they still
could. The Egyptians knew that this wouldn't be the end of it,
so the army maintained a condition of battle readiness,
waiting for the Persians to return.

What
the Persians were up to was a brilliant scheme that displayed
a profound understanding of their enemy's culture and beliefs.
They discovered a kink in the Egyptian armor, a weakness they
would fully exploit. Night after night, the Persians deployed
their elite forces to the villages and towns of the
surrounding countryside, silently capturing as many cats as
they could lay their hands upon. Once satisfied with the
number of animals they'd collected, the Persian army returned
to the city of Pelusium. The Egyptians first noticed the
distant clouds of dust, kicked up by the approaching Persian
army, at dawn. The troops were readied for battle in an
orderly manner, well rested and ready for combat.

Within
an hour, the two armies positioned themselves in assembled
ranks, glaring at each other across the battlefield. The
Egyptian General signaled for the attack. In an instant, the
Egyptian army charged upon the Persians who, oddly enough,
held their ground. The Egyptians roared like thunder as they
rapidly advanced on the Persian front line. Suddenly, there
was movement within the Persian forces. Curious, but
undaunted, the Egyptians continued their charge. Then, they
saw a sight that nearly froze them in their tracks. Hundreds
of panic stricken cats were released upon the battlefield. The
Egyptian army watched in horror as the sacred animals ran
about in deadly fear. Confusion spread through the Egyptian
ranks as the Persian army seized the opportunity to take the
aggressive. Advancing upon the stunned Egyptians in a evenly
paced march, each of the Persian soldiers held forth a
terrified cat. The Egyptians knew then and there that they
were defeated.

Not
a single Egyptian soldier dared to engage the enemy, fearing
that to do so might endanger the lives of the cats. Without
suffering a single casualty, the Persians secured their
victory, devastating the Egyptians. It has been
suggested that the Egyptians initially used the cat to control
the rodent population which continually destroyed crops. This
seems to be a reasonable speculation, but it's obvious that
the cat meant much more to the Egyptians than that. Kingdoms
don't loose wars merely for the sake of four-legged
mousetraps.

Certainly,
something of the cat's behavior suggested that a very powerful
spiritual connection existed between humans, cats, and the
gods. The Pharaohs and the priests alike were quite protective
of their honored feline population. The distribution of cats
throughout the Kingdom was carefully regulated, while
exportation of cats was absolutely forbidden. Since the cat
insured agricultural security by keeping away harmful pests, a
surplus of goods was able to develop which gave Egypt wealth
and strength, and plenty of economic clout when it came to
dealing with other countries. No wonder they guarded these
animals so closely. The domesticated cat was nothing less than
a priceless secret weapon that contributed immeasurably to the
greatness of ancient Egypt.

But
eventually domesticated cats did find their way out of Egypt
thanks to the Greeks who stole the animals to control their
own rodent problem, and to use as powerful bargaining chips in
international trade. This didn't go over so well with the
Egyptians. In fact, one Pharaoh sent out his army to various
lands in a futile effort to recapture the liberated felines
and return them home to Egypt.

Unfortunately
for the Egyptians, it was too late. Warfare and trade had
resulted in the distribution of domesticated cats throughout
the Mediterranean and perhaps by this time, even as far as
Asia. The Egyptian monopoly on domestic cats had at last come
to an end.

DISTRIBUTION

Phoenician
cargo ships are thought to have brought the first domesticated
cats to the European continent around 900 B.C. In time, the
Romans adopted the cat as a symbol of freedom and liberty.
Never quite venerating felines to the extent of the Egyptians,
the Romans nevertheless held the cat in high regard, and it is
believed that they are responsible for introducing the cat to
Britain during the course of their numerous campaigns of
conquest in that region.

Over
the subsequent centuries, the domesticated cat proliferated
throughout Europe, the Middle East, and China. Though no
longer worshipped as deities, cats were still honored and
appreciated for their mousing abilities no matter where they
turned up. By the 11th Century, about the time the Crusades
began, cats were in huge demand since the rats were beginning
to overrun the cities. Domesticated cats could now be found as
far as Scotland. While their obvious hunting abilities
were being put to good use, the domesticated cat retained its
mysterious, otherworldly aura of heavenly protector and
benefactor.

Catholic
Monasteries kept cats as guardians (that is, until the Church
decided that they didn't like cats anymore); Sailors would
bring along cats during long sea voyages believing they
possessed miraculous powers to protect them from dangerous
weather; in a very short time, the cat spread throughout the
world, becoming a treasured companion and friend.

All
seemed well for these cats and the people that loved them, for
a good long time in fact. Unfortunately, this was not to last.
By the close of the 15th Century, Pope Innocent VIII decided
that adulation for cats was tantamount to pagan worship in
defiance of God. This led to the belief that cats were evil,
existing solely to mislead and destroy the faithful. The
Inquisition was given instructions to hunt down all cat owners
and try them as heretics and witches. For a while, cats were
burned to death by the hundreds, right along side their human
caretakers. The crime: "consorting with demonic
forces." It was a far cry from their exalted days
in ancient Egypt.

But
cats persevered. In fact, they flourished. Centuries passed as
people of various cultures spread diverse influences across
the globe, while the stoic cat accompanied this progress each
step of the way. And through it all, the cat has thankfully
retained its independent qualities, its silent contemplative
nature, its persona of supernatural wisdom.

Obviously
cats won't be leaving the scene anytime soon. They are very
much a part of our our consciousness, both culturally and
spiritually. Their traits are often used to describe human
activities. To comment on their independence is nothing more
than a safe cliché. Being such an ubiquitous animal, we tend
to take them for granted, but remember this: They are the
descendants of temple dwelling cats, domesticated by the
Egyptians and regarded as sacred. To ignore their unique
lineage is to sever all metaphorical links to our mystic past,
and this would indeed be a tragedy.

NOTE
It should be noted that all cats - including domesticated
species - are obligate carnivores and they cannot survive
without ingesting nutrients derived from animals. CATS MUST
NEVER BE FED AN EXCLUSIVELY VEGETARIAN RATION.

Getting
a Cat

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